Sardines

MINNEAPOLIS -- After losing two consecutive games to an injury-plauged Minnesota team, Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen no longer calls the Twins the "piranhas" because of their pesky style. "These are the little sardines here," Guillen said Thursday after a 1-0 loss at Target Field. "They are (bleeping) sardines. They are sardines. You see a bunch of look like a circle, a bunch of midgets out there. But they can play. "That kid who is the leadoff guy (Ben Revere) … pretty good.

With cans of specialty imported sardines in hand, I thought to make something a little different, instead of just eating them my usual way, plain. Pasta came to mind, as it often does. The Sicilians have a classic dish pairing sardines with golden raisins and wild fennel, for a sweet and sour combination that plays beautifully against the rich fish. But the traditional dish calls for fresh sardines. And wild fennel, while apparently abundant on the Italian island, is nearly...

With cans of specialty imported sardines in hand, I thought to make something a little different, instead of just eating them my usual way, plain. Pasta came to mind, as it often does. The Sicilians have a classic dish pairing sardines with golden raisins and wild fennel, for a sweet and sour combination that plays beautifully against the rich fish. But the traditional dish calls for fresh sardines. And wild fennel, while apparently abundant on the Italian island, is nearly...

MINNEAPOLIS -- After losing two consecutive games to an injury-plauged Minnesota team, Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen no longer calls the Twins the "piranhas" because of their pesky style. "These are the little sardines here," Guillen said Thursday after a 1-0 loss at Target Field. "They are (bleeping) sardines. They are sardines. You see a bunch of look like a circle, a bunch of midgets out there. But they can play. "That kid who is the leadoff guy (Ben Revere) … pretty good.

Let it be known that the magic bait for black bear may be a can of sardines. I had tried it all in four years of bowhunting spring bear. Piles of desiccated sweet rolls and doughnuts tucked under a pile of logs. A rotting sucker wrapped in burlap and hung from a tree. A smelly slab of pork rind. Cans of oats saturated with strawberry syrup. Liberal sprays of Liquid Smoke to simulate campfire goodies. Honey and peanut butter spread across a log. I even munch licorice in my tree stand because...

Ozzie Guillen is in midseason form, weeks before spring training starts in Glendale, Ariz. Asked about Cubs fans booing him when he attended a recent Blackhawks game at the United Center, Guillen -- who held up his hand and pointed to his World Series ring -- said on "Chicago Tribune Live": "You either love me or you hate me. ... People like to hear what they want to hear. People don't like to hear what they should hear." On the Twins moving into an outdoor stadium: "I call them the piranhas ... pretty...

Sardines are high in protein, beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron and iodine-in other words, a great snack food. But there is no fish of any kind, anywhere, that bears the name while still swimming. "Sardine" is a term for various kinds of small fish after they are processed and canned in oils, mustard or sauces. The name is derived from Sardinia, a Mediterranean island, according to the national association of specialty foods. Denmark and Norway process two types of fish-brislings...

Bacon, wine cocktails and a consumer backlash against ubiquitous nutritional claims by food manufacturers are among the top food trends for 2010, according to ad agency JWT. Here are five of the top trends compiled by the agency, which counts food giants Nestle, Kellogg's and Kraft among its clients. Bacon is no longer just for BLT sandwiches: The pork product is showing up in cocktails made with bacon-infused liquor or the new Bakon Vodka. It's also in desserts such as bacon-and-egg...

People in Monterey like to tell a story about what will happen when the sardines come back. A fisherman, they say, will go running down Cannery Row, waving his arms and yelling wildly, "The sardines are back! The sardines are back!" And the only people there to hear him will be the tourists, busy with their Surf `n` Turf lunch specials, sea otter key chains and John Steinbeck lithographs. Sardines did thrive once upon a time in Monterey Bay. They...

Ask me to peruse your vacation snapshots and I'll probably do so, but reluctantly, and not without an inward wince. Ask me to listen to your vacation stories -- or better yet, to read them -- and I'll happily oblige. Photos are simple and static and crudely bullying; they force you to see things from a single, inert perspective. Stories, though, are complex, supple and surprising. That's why "The Moon, Come to Earth: Dispatches from Lisbon" (University of Chicago Press) is so...

Can a touch of salsa net more young consumers of sardines? King Oscar USA, which markets the most visible brand of canned sardines, has launched a major promotion in the Chicago market to sell sardines packed in the popular sauce. Radio commercials produced by Sausalito, Calif., communications firm Albert & Musgrove are blaring the message. There also are newspaper ads with coupons. Will this all work in what San Francisco-based King Oscar describes as a test? "We...

Big is better, we've long been told, especially when it comes to food. Super-size this, double that, pile the trimmings high. Smaller, however, is increasingly proving to be smarter, more sustainable and equally satisfying when it comes to seafood. Eco-conscious top chefs and home cooks are turning to smaller and lesser-known fish not only for environmental and health reasons but because they taste good. In so doing, they're reviving interest in sardines, anchovies and herring...

Holy sardines! Can it be true? So maligned a food is a budding trend? "I saw it," says Peter Gryska, seafood buyer for Burhop's seafood stores in the Chicago area. "We were at the base of the slopes at Zermatt." (Zermatt is in Switzerland--near St. Martin and other places where the chic schuss about. Gryska, 26, is only "between fortunes," but he knows what's good.) "There she was. She had just gotten off the slopes. White fur ski parka. Navy blue ski...

Sardines, herrings and anchovies are very much "in season" for chefs in Chicago and across the country looking to make a savory and sustainable statement with fish. These species were long ignored or scorned because they were: 1. small; 2. oily and thus assertively flavored; 3. were usually sold packed in yucky cans or bottles. Today, chefs love that small fish come with equally small price tags and are a more eco-friendly choice than larger fish. Chefs celebrate the heart-healthy...

Big is better, we've long been told, especially when it comes to food. Super-size this, double that, pile the trimmings high. Smaller, however, is increasingly proving to be smarter, more sustainable and equally satisfying when it comes to seafood. Eco-conscious top chefs and home cooks are turning to smaller and lesser-known fish not only for environmental and health reasons but because they taste good. In so doing, they're reviving interest in sardines, anchovies and herring...

Eyeing some salmon or sardines in the grocery store, you may soon notice some not-very-snappy words on the labels, suggesting the contents may be good for you. The Food and Drug Administration has decided to allow the following "qualified" health claim for certain foods containing fish oils: "Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease." Or, as Madison Avenue might prefer to put it:...

Mention sardines and many people picture a little rectangular can. In fact, they're not something to seek out, they're something to avoid. But mention sardines to someone who has sat outside in a sunny cafe on the Portuguese coast or the Mediterranean Sea and eaten fresh sardines hot off a grill with a chunk of fresh bread and a crisp white wine, and you'll most likely hear a very affectionate tale of a memorable dining experience. Early this year, sardines along the U.S. Pacific coast were up in numbers not...

In reading the "Cramped seating" and "Like sardines" letters on June 29, regarding Southwest Airlines' ticketing policy, I was struck by the writers' basic lack of understanding of economics. What they fail to realize is that being crammed in "like sardines" makes it possible for the airplane to carry more passengers. This makes it possible for the airline to lower the price of tickets. Lower ticket prices make air travel more affordable. Affordability means that the airlines have a larger pool of potential...

Bacon, wine cocktails and a consumer backlash against ubiquitous nutritional claims by food manufacturers are among the top food trends for 2010, according to ad agency JWT. Here are five of the top trends compiled by the agency, which counts food giants Nestle, Kellogg's and Kraft among its clients. Bacon is no longer just for BLT sandwiches: The pork product is showing up in cocktails made with bacon-infused liquor or the new Bakon Vodka. It's also in desserts such as bacon-and-egg...

Mike Lynch misses the point. Thin and fat passengers alike are tired of having to squeeze into those ridiculously tight seats the airlines pack three- and four-abreast to sardine in as many possible passengers as they can. I'm "standard"-size, and I can testify that it's been years since I've felt able to move or breathe in an airplane seat. It's not just fat people who are at a special disadvantage here. Anyone of over average height ends up sticking his or her elbows into someone's lap as well.